Flat Out, Nuts For Tubes
    During my conversations with B.A.T., they became increasingly aware of was the fact that I was a proud owner of the highly acclaimed ESP Concert Grand loudspeakers (latest version). BAT has often used these speakers at various high-end audio shows. So, as a result of BAT’s familiarity with my reference speakers, as well as gaining a better understanding of my preferences for musical reproduction, they felt I would be a good candidate to evaluate their new VK-500 solid-state amplifier. Also, finally it occurred to me that Bednarski had focused on my descriptions of how the performance of these speakers had been literally transformed during my previous substitution of another manufacturer’s high-powered solid-state amp in place of a pair of this same manufacturer’s very fine tube mono-blocks. This was something that I had written about previously (see my comments in Vol. 1, No. 3 of this publication regarding ESP Concert Grand speakers). So, here’s the scenario. Finally the day arrives and the VK-500 is soon at my doorstep. The UPS delivery person rings the doorbell; I answer the door and am asked to sign papers acknowledging receipt of a rather largish box. I sign them and somewhat naively ask, "Is it heavy?" Stupid question. He says, "Yeah, sort of . . . but it’s manageable!" "Okay," I say and immediately attempt to maneuver the box into my house. I quickly realize that this is going to be a bit more of a chore than I had anticipated. Fortunately, the same young bucks that helped me move my reference loudspeakers into the house were present. So, with their assistance, the 500 found its way to my reference system.

So, What Is It?
    So, just what does the VK-500 offer the prospective user? For starters, it is indeed a high-powered solid-state amplifier, offering 250 watts into 8 ohms and approximately 450 into 4 ohms. The unit is also designed for fully balanced operation and utilizes a simple, direct signal path. According to BAT, this aspect is similar to their flagship tube amplifier designs. Additionally, the VK-500 employs only two gain stages without global feedback. Another interesting feature of the VK-500 is that it is actually two individual amplifiers inside a single box. It is truly a dual mono configuration. (This speaks somewhat to its overall size and weight). Along with this, each channel of the VK-500 has a separate on/off switch on the front panel as well as a separate a.c. power cord. (Literally, you can turn off one channel and the other will operate totally independently). The VK-500 amplifier is also of considerable size and heft, coming in at after unpacking weight of approximately 105 pounds. You should have a strong young man handy. Peering inside the VK-500, I immediately observed the same kind of precision and cleanliness of overall construction and circuit topology as the company’s flagship VK-5 linestage. Things are packed inside in a very impressive manner with all components and wiring being laid out quite orderly and tidy. Generally, the quality of design and construction is quite commendable.

But How Does It Sound?
    Now for the really good part, in terms of overall musicality, I can state without hesitation that the VK-500 is a true champion. Despite its newness and lack of adequate break-in, right from the beginning, this amplifier offered a view of many very positive things to come. Immediately noticeable was the sensation of power and finesse that the VK-500 infused into my system. This was very exciting and enticing at the same time. With the VK-500 in place, reproduced music simply flowed from my speakers with total ease. Also immediately noticeable was the naturalness of timbre and overall neutrality (throughout the entire frequency range). In fact, at the time, it reminded me of some of my more memorable musical experiences with high-powered tube amplifiers. Until the arrival of the VK-500, I had not had nearly such a sensation in my home reference system since my earlier days with my beloved Audio Research Classic 150 mono-block amplifiers and renowned Avalon Ascent speakers.
But that was then and this is now. From everything I could observe, the new VK-500 mated perfectly to my reference ESP loudspeakers. Right from jump-street, I could tell that the VK-500 was going to seriously challenge my sensibilities in terms of conventional thinking regarding the musical performance rendered by solid-state vs. tubes. Quite frankly, before receiving the BAT VK-500, I had assumed that this unit would likely be good, possibly even very good, but certainly not great. Perhaps another contributing factor was the early caution from BAT’s Steve Bednarski advising me not to judge the VK-500’s sound too harshly until it had been given sufficient time to settle in. On this, the outcome was true to his word, and Bednarski was certainly correct. Surely, there were a few sonic anomalies early on. However, what he hadn’t told me was that these aberrations would likely be overshadowed by the VK-500’s more positive attributes. Essentially, I was able to listen and enjoy this unit from the very beginning.

Listening during the break-in period was very easy to do; the music simply flowed with ease.

However, again Steve Bednarski was correct, in that after more extensive break-in (and listening), I truly started to understand the VK-500’s overall musical strengths that were becoming even more evident. During these later listening sessions, I started to realize that the VK-500 was more than just a competent amplifier. Based on my long-term experiences in listening to and evaluating various types of audio gear, it was readily apparent to me that the VK-500 was a unit that could compare quite favorably to many other very fine sounding and typically far more expensive amplifiers (whether they be solid-state or tube).

What It Really Sounds Like!
    Once this extended break-in period was over, I invited my 18-year-old son (and constant listening companion) to take his favorite listening spot in front of my beloved ESP Concert Grand loudspeakers. What we experienced was nothing short of sensational. As much as my long-term reference amplifier had supplied me with many hours of listening pleasure, I was somewhat surprised by the degree of sonic improvement. Much to our surprise and delight, the sound of music reproduced with the VK-500 was even more authentic and harmonically correct. In fact, an illusion of live music seemed to simply emerge from my system, during which my speakers simply disappeared. It was at this point that I knew we were in for some seriously long listening sessions. Also, with the VK-500 in place, reproduced music emerged with the proverbial natural colors of music which are often times said to be missing with solid-state amplification. Along with this was a sense of fullness, warmth, and overall smoothness that made music sound seductive. Initially, I thought perhaps this very noticeable smoothness, along with the VK-500’s striking sense of quietness, gave the amp a sound that was a bit on the darkish side. Upon further listening, I determined that this characteristic was simply the absence of noise. Wonderfully, subtle details emerged with such clarity and immediacy that I had to completel;y and totally rethink my initial reaction. As time went by, I found my feelings regarding the unit’s possible darkish sound diminished greatly. It was rather interesting how the early ear/brain reaction initially caused me to almost make a mistake in identifying one thing for another. In fact, what I came to realize was that the VK-500 was anything but dark sounding.

After break-in, the VK-500 was yet more authentic and harmonically correct. Its quiet manner allowed wonderful, subtle details to emerge.

Actually, the VK-500 has a sonic quality that renders reproduced music with presence and aliveness. Fortunately, this is accomplished without any of the accompanying noise artifacts that somehow but too often get into the amplification chain. (Actually, in my recent reviewing experiences, I also found the superb R.E. Designs LNPA 150 solid-state mono-block amplifiers capable of providing this very low noise portrayal of the music as well). Fortunately, reproduction of music through either of these amplifiers is accomplished without it ever taking on forward or in-your-face perspective. What comes forth is a clear, clean presentation with a very quiet ambient field (lest otherwise filled with a musical perspective). So far, what I’ve given you is more of a birds-eye view of the VK-500 in terms of its overall musicality. More specifically, what I find to be so arresting with the VK-500 is just how successful BAT has been in addressing the so-called challenge of "non-musicality" from a high-powered, solid-state amplifier. (This is not to say that no other manufacturers of solid-state amplifiers have not also succeeded in meeting this challenge). Even more interestingly, I have found that the VK-500 does, in fact, share a number of sonic similarities to this firm’s flagship tube mono-blocks. According to Victor Khomenko, the VK-500’s development essentially followed the company’s flagship VK-60 stereo amplifier in terms of overall design and circuit topology. He further stated that, as a result of this evolutionary approach, the gestation period and prototyping for the 500 went by fairly fast. Khomenko stated that effectively the VK-500 is a solid-state implementation of the VK-60 architecture. Most of the same elements exist in the overall design and development of both units.

Bass, Ah, Yes, The Bass
    Generally speaking, the BAT VK-500 provided some of the best quality (and quantity) of bass I had ever heard from my reference system. The 500 is easily one of the most neutral- and natural-sounding amplifiers that I have ever auditioned in my home. As with the Audio Research D-400 in my reference system, I have found that there is no substitute for power and real muscle when it comes to certain aspects like deep bass extension, power, control, and overall dynamics typically produced by with a well-designed solid-state amplifier. In this regard, both the Audio Research D-400 Mk-II and the R.E. Designs LNPA 150 mono-blocks offered superb performance in this area with my reference system. However, on direct comparison to either of these superb solid-state amps, particularly in the bass region, the 500 clearly offered the best overall performance in this area. For instance, the VK-500’s performance through the entire bass region is simply outstanding. With my reference loudspeakers and the BAT VK-500 installed, I heard an effortless, controlled but powerful presentation. In addition to the quantity of the bass, the overall sonic quality of the bass was enhanced with the VK-500 as well. Not only did the VK-500 allow me to hear and feel the bass; I was also able to easily distinguish subtle harmonic and textural shadings one region.

Diana Krall's Only Trust Your Heart was a delight, whether quiet or full tilt.

Try listening to some really good acoustic upright bass with the VK-500 and you’ll know instantly what I mean. For example, on Diana Krall’s debut recording, Only Trust Your Heart, GRP CD-9810, fellow bassists Ray Brown and Christian McBride take turns demonstrating their prowess and expertise with this particular instrument. Whether during quiet solo passages or while blending into the full musical array, the VK-500 allows both instrumentalists’ true sonic character to be revealed. Additionally, the tonal shading of each particular bass instrument is revealed with outstanding clarity and distinction. On another fine recording, bassist Charlie Haden’s performance on his LP Quartet West, Verve 0704, is exemplary through the VK-500. Again, largely as a result of the VK-500, Haden’s distinguishing characteristics of a big, full, warm sound with this instrument are readily apparent. Whether deep in the lower registers or higher in the upper bass region, through the VK-500 Haden’s instrument sounds as authentic as one could imagine. When it comes to percussive-type instruments, the VK-500 is equally at home. Try listening to the drums and congas from Steve Turre’s Rhythm Within, Antilles CD314 527 159-2. Pay particular attention on the cut titled "African Shuffle," where the percussion gets very busy, complex, dense, and powerful. The VK-500 handles these passages quite comfortably so that the sound comes through effortlessly and quite naturally. With the VK-500, there is no sense of compression or strain. Instead, the dynamics simply flow and explode from your speakers the way you would expect to hear them live. Lower bass, middle bass, and upper bass; it doesn’t really matter. With the VK-500 it’s almost irrelevant, it’s all handled superbly. However, I should point out that the particular unit I used for this review was equipped with the optional BAT-PAK. Effectively, this feature, an internally installed capacitor bank (joule multiplier if you will), increases the power supply’s energy storage from approximately 350 joules to 1,100 joules. Just how much this has to do with the VK-500’s overall performance in this area I am not really sure, but it can’t hurt.

But Mama, The Midrange
    The critical midrange is a true test for any electronic component. Not that my system is totally perfect but it is truly a high resolution and very accurate system, capable of providing some thoroughly enjoyable listening sessions. As a result, whenever I introduce a new component into my system, I am able to easily discern the sound quality differences it brings along when music is reproduced through it. Where I thought I might find the so-called Achilles heel of the VK-500 was in the midrange. However, it was a very pleasant surprise to find that sound throughout the broad midrange spectrum was not only open, clear, and articulate, it was also about as close to natural as I had heard in my system, ever. Again, going back to Diana Krall’s recording, because a woman vocalist’s voice is in the midrange, her voice was revealed with all of the naturally warm and seductively husky manner that makes it the truly beautiful instrument it is. As a basis of comparison, I am fortunate to have had the experience with personally meeting (and listening to) Ms. Krall during a recent three-night stint at one of my favorite music venues here in the Twin Cities (i.e. Dakota Bar & Grill). During her time at the Dakota, I was fortunately able to speak with her one-on-one, as well as listen to her performances (on all three nights, mind you) from various locations in the facility. Sure, there were differences between hearing her live and listening to her CD at my place. However, with the VK-500 in place, along with the other fine componentry assembled in my reference system, Krall’s in-home performance was of a similarly high quality and emotionally pleasing level.

With the VK-500, I was able to clearly distinguish subtle shifts in Milt Jackson's vibes.

Another instrument that is thoroughly revealing of midrange truth is the saxophone. Listening to Ernie Watts on the Haden LP mentioned above, with the VK-500 in place, Watts’ performance was also full of truth. In fact, one Saturday afternoon, an audiophile buddy came by to get an earful of my system with the VK-500 installed. As he approached the area in my home where my reference system was, he rather innocently asked whether my son was playing his sax. Truly, folks, my son is nowhere close to having the talent level of any of the artists I frequently listen to. However, what was so striking to my friend was just how real and in the room the sax sounded through my system. Provided the rest of your system is capable of rendering musical realism, the VK-500 will bring life to instruments (and voices), allowing the listener to easily slip into that dream-like condition of believing you are actually hearing the real thing. Quite frankly, my friend was not prepared for what he had just heard. Needless to say, he stayed for the remainder of that afternoon. Switching over to some music by the vibraphone master Milt Jackson, the VK-500 was once again put to the test. Jackson’s style has always been melodic, swinging, and beautiful. On the Pablo recording Mostly Duke, Jackson is at his best in terms of swinging jazz. What I find most interesting about the sound of Jackson’s vibes is how demonstrative his playing style is. His presentation offers a shimmering, pulsating sonic quality that can quickly reveal strengths or weaknesses in amplifiers. Again, with the VK-500, I was able to clearly distinguish minor nuances and subtle shifts in either Jackson’s intensity of striking the vibes, whether he had switched the type of mallet he was using or whether the pedal action on this instrument was fully engaged. Let me talk about overall musical accuracy, for I had the good fortune to hear Jackson live not too terribly long ago (yes, at the same wonderful venue where I heard Krall). This time, I sat directly in front of Jackson, not far distant from the stage where he was performing. This allowed me to capture and enjoy the sound of his instrument largely direct with minimal interference by the house PA system. Although not quite the same, later listening to Jackson through my reference system made me realize again just how capable the VK-500 is in its ability to render music accurately.

The Tricky Treble
    This same kind of musical purity existed as I listened to various instruments higher up the frequency scale. Whether it was the sound of a cymbal, the tinkling of little percussive bells and chimes, sweetly singing violins, high-pitched trumpets blasting away, hard-struck upper register piano notes or whatever, the VK-500 stayed true to the music. Along with the proper tonal balance for these instruments, transient clues through the VK-500 were most evident. Leading edge transients had the proper sharpness without sounding unnaturally hard. Trailing edges had the proper degree of delicacy, decay and shimmer. Furthermore, listening deeply into the soundstage produced by the VK-500 is relatively easy and a truly captivating experience. In addition, due to its very low signal-to-noise floor, this amplifier seems to impose very little character on the music or the ambient sound field it reproduces. Whatever is on the recording is accurately portrayed. Based on my experiences with this unit, the VK-500 does an excellent job of not mucking up the sound field with spurious noise or other little sonic artifacts that lessen overall clarity or inner resolution. Provided the electronics up-front are sufficiently revealing in this area, the VK-500 will offer a superbly open, clear, and quite transparent view of the entire sonic picture. Lastly, the overall dimensionality of instruments, voice or the recording venue are all portrayed with a high degree of realism through the VK-500. With the VK-500 in place, the listener will be treated with an aural sense of musical majesty, finesse, power, and delicacy. This amp speaks to sonic neutrality and musical truth.

Valves or Silicon?
    In addressing the issue of whether to pursue tubes or transistors I will merely say that to a large degree, the VK-500 has made this somewhat of a non-issue for me. Overall, the 500 does so many things right that the listener will likely just simply use it and enjoy the music, ignoring the tubes vs. transistors question. One thing is for sure, the VK-500 will not call attention to itself. It merely does what it is supposed to do to make beautiful music. On both a personal and musical level, I feel the BAT VK-500 amplifier is a truly outstanding product. Given a similar level of quality for the ancillary equipment used with it, the overall results of reproduced music through a given system can be most rewarding. So far,, my experiences in listening to either the little silver discs or the bigger black ones with the VK-500 have been nothing short of revelatory and totally satisfying. At the current retail price of $5,000.00 for the standard unit or $5,800.00 for the BAT-PAK equipped version, the BAT VK-500 represents a true value to serious audiophiles and music-lovers alike. Bottom line, the strongest recommendation I can give to anyone is the fact that after living with this product for a while, it was a non-issue. I simply put my money where my mouth, heart, and ears were and purchased the review unit for myself. Truly, the 500 has upstaged other fine solid-state amplifiers that I have used previously and is now my reference amplifier. As an aside, I believe one other TAV reviewer has had a similar experience with auditioning the VK-500 and now owns one for himself as well.